Oscillating lawn sprinkler with adjustable drive and adjustable sprinkler head assembly



July 15, i969 s. w. THOMPSGN 3,455,512

OSCILLATING LAWN SPRINKLER WITH ADJUSTABLE DRIVE AND ADJUSTABLE SPRINKLER HEAD ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 25, 1967 2 Sheet-Sheet 1 41 INVEN'I'OR.

592% Wafido Thampsori I ATTORNEY July Q5, 1969 s, w, THOMPSON 3,55,5EZ

OSCILLATING LAWN SPRINKLER WITH ADJUSTABLE DRIVE AND ADJUSTABLE SPRINKLER HEAD ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 25, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wig? 21 '1 T". T T f I INVENTOR. I/////////// I/Il/Illl/{I/l/ ,5 W a8 \\\\w /4/% e a 0 Wm ATTORNEY United States Patent "ice OSCILLATING LAWN SPRINKLER WITH ADJUST- ABLE DRIVE AND ADJUSTABLE SPRINKLER HEAD ASSEMBLY Seth Waldo Thompson. 9 Gordon Road, Essex Fells, NJ. 07021 Filed Sept. 25, 1967, Ser. No. 670,197 Int. Cl. B05b 3/16; F16h 21 /18 US. Cl. 239-242 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sprinkler head is carried by. a water supply pipe that is journalled in a water motor housing for oscillation on a horizontal axis when driven by linkage mechanism operatively connecting the motor and the supply pipe. The linkage includes indexing means selectively adjustable to vary the length of the arc of supply pipe oscillation. A connector carried by the supply pipe for oscillation therewith is movable selectively to various positions of adjustment;

in any one of a plurality of which it establishes a driving connection between an element of the linkage and the supply pipe to effect oscillation of the pipe while the motor is in operation, andin any one of a plurality of other positions it establishes a fixed holding connection between an element of the motor housing and the supply pipe to anchor the latter against oscillation while the motor is in operation.

Cross-noting The present invention is related to the linkage mechanism which is the subject of my copending allowed application Ser. No. 487,291, filed Sept. 14, 1965, now Patent 3,354,730, for Adjustable Linkage Mechanism, and to the lawn sprinkler apparatus which is the subject of my copending allowed application Ser. No. 581,912, filed Sept. 26, 1966, now Patent 3,355,110, for an Oscillating and Rotating Lawn Sprinkler. Reference also is made to my Patent No. 3,168,249 and to my Patent No. 3,275,242.

Background of the invention The present invention relates generally to the art of fluid spraying and diffusing, and in particular to lawn sprinklers of the type in which a water discharge sprinkler head is carried by a pipe that supplies water to the head while the pipe together with the head is oscillated through linkage mechanism driven from a water motor that is supplied from a garden hose or the like. The linkage includes means operative selectively to govern the extent and location of the are through which the supply pipe carrying the head may oscillate.

The prior art most closely related to the present invention is illustrated in United States Patents 2,921,474 and 2,945,385, and my United States Patents 3,168,249 and 3,275,242. These are lawn sprinklers of the oscillating head type in which a ground-engaging support frame mounts a water motor in a housing that is itself a frame part in that it provides a bearing for one end of a horizontal sprinkler supply pipe which is journalled at its other end in an element of the frame remote from the motor housing. While the motor is in operation the supply pipe is caused to oscillate by linkage mechanism operatively connecting the pipe and the motor.

Prior to my entry in the field of oscillating head lawn sprinklers, the art appears to have had no conception of means for anchoring the sprinkler water supply pipe in a stationary position at any selected point of its travel during oscillation, and disconnected from its driving connection with the motor. Such disposition of the supply 3,455,512 Patented July 15, 1969 pipe (which in many cases is also the sprinkler head) is desirable because it enables delivery of the discharged water in streams directed to a localized ground area that may be difiicult to reach, such as areas beneath the overhang of bushes, shrubs, and the like. The present invention makes it possible by simple adjustments to confine the entire volume of discharged water to a narrow band so directed that it will not be delivered onto sidewalks, windows, or other areas not desired to be wetted, without reducing the volume of water supplied to the motor.

The drawings FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a lawn sprinkler embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front end elevation, from the right of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view substantially on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view substantially on line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view substantially on line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view substantially on line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary elevation of the selective connector means utilized to establish a driving connection between the motor and the sprinkler supply pipe, positioned as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 but illustrating the connector in a position disconnected from the driving connection and holding the sprinkler supply pipe against oscillation; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view on line 99 of FIG. 1.

Summary The lawn sprinkler of the present invention is a compact, light weight assembly of a water-impelled motor, a sprinkler head, a sprinkler supply pipe oscillatable on a horizontal axis, and linkage mechanism constituting a driving connection between the motor and the sprinkler supply pipe to oscillate the latter. The motor housing is supported on a ground-engaging frame and is supplied with water from a garden hose. The sprinkler supply pipe is journalled in the upper part of the motor housing and has a portion extending outwardly from the housing, which portion carries the sprinkler head on a riser extension of the pipe that is perpendicular to the horizontal axis of the pipe and close to the front of the motor housing; thereby reducing bending strain on thesupply pipe and its bearings incident to the overhang of the sprinkler head.

The driving connection linkage includes several interconnected parts. One part is a driven force-transmitting arm having one end carried by the outer end portion of the sprinkler supply pipe and rotatable thereon on the ho'rizontal axis of the pipe. Another part is a throw link pivotally connected at one end to a driving crank on the motor shaft and pivotally connected at its other end to the other end portion of the driven arm. The pivotal connection between the link and the arm includes indexing means manually operative to shift the effective pivot axis of the connection selectively to various positions of adjustment which determine the direction and area coverage of Water discharged from the sprinkler head.

The driving connection includes also a part carried by the sprinkler supply pipe for oscillation therewith and located between the motor housing and the driven arm. This part is a connector movable on the supply pipe to various positions of adjustment in one of which it is connected in the linkage and establishes the driving connection between the motor and the supply pipe to oscillate the latter, and in another of which it is removed from the driving connection and establishes a fixed connection between an element of the motor housing and the supply pipe to hold the latter against oscillation.

Description of preferred embodiment The best means I have thus far devised for reducing the present invention to practice incorporates a groundengaging supporting frame that includes a water motor housing constituted of front and rear sections 21 and 22, respectively, interconnected by bolts 23. The housing encloses a water motor 24 of the impeller type that is supplied with water through an inlet 25 in the rear section of the housing and having a conventional garden hose connector 26.

A sprinkler supply pipe, comprising an inner portion 27 and an outer portion 28, has its inner portion 27 disposed within the motor housing and journalled therein for oscillation on a horizontal axis. The water outlet from the motor is in open communication with an aperture 29 in the inner end portion of the pipe for continuous feed of water to the pipe while the motor is in operation. The outer portion 28 of the pipe projects outwardly through the front section of the motor housing and through a supporting bushing 30 which has a cylindrical surface and is a fixed element of the housing, being rigidly secured to its front section by fastening elements 31, one of which appears in FIGS. 2 and 3. The outer end of the horizontal portion 28 of the sprinkler supply pipe is closed and formed as an integral shaft 32. Between this shaft and the bushing 30 the pipe 28 carries a radial pipe extension 33 disposed on an axis perpendicular to the horizontal axis of the supply pipe. A rotary sprinkler head assembly 34, of a construction similar to that disclosed in my copending application Ser. No. 581,912, is mounted on the outer end portion of the sup ply pipe extension 33 to receive water therefrom for discharge through apertures 35 in its oppositely extended arms 36. The specific structure of the rotary sprinkler head is not claimed in this application. It is pointed out, however, that the head includes means 37 by which the head may be held against rotation in any selected directional position of its arms, as described in my application 581,912.

The driving shaft 38 of the motor extends through the front housing section 21 on a horizontal axis below and parallel to the horizontal axis of the sprinkler supply pipe section 28. A crank 39 on the outer end of the shaft has a pivotal connection 40 to one end of a throw link 41 which, at its other end, has a pivotal connection 42 with the outer end portion of a driven force-transmitting arm 43, as best seen in FIG. 2. The inner end portion of arm 43, is formed with a hub '44 that is loosely rotatable on and over the shaft 32 of the sprinkler supply pipe and has asegmentally cylindrical surface.

. The pivotal connection between arm 43 and the throw link 41 includes indexing means that is operative to shift the pivot axis of the connection 42 selectively to various points on the arm 43 located at individually different radial distances from the horizontal axis of the sprinkler supply pipe portion 28. The indexing means is generally similar in structure to the indexing means disclosed in FIGS. 4 and 5 of my copending application Ser. No. 487,- 291. As here shown, it comprises a radial crank 45 parallel to the arm 43 and integral with or in fixed attachment to one end of a stub shaft 46 that is rotatable in the arm 43 and which extends from opposite sides thereof, as best shown in FIG. 4. The other end of stub shaft 46 carries an indexing knob or handle 47 fixedly attached to the shaft and manually operative either to rotate the shaft or to move it axially in opposite directions in and through the arm 43. A coil expansion spring 48 surrounds the shaft 46 between the arm 43 and knob 47, biasing the latter outwardly and away from the arm in the position shown in FIG. 4.

The pivot 42 is a bolt extending through and rotatable in the outer end of the throw link 41 and through a complemental bore in the outer end of the stub shaft crank 45. The inner end of the bolt stern constitutes a cylindrical locking pin 49 that is adapted to seat in an axially registering one of a series of complemental socket holes 50 in the body of the arm 43 and arranged in spaced relation along the circumference of a circle centered on the axis of the stub shaft 46. When the pin 49 is seated in one of the socket holes the outer end of throw link 41. the crank 45 of stub shaft 46, and the arm 43 all are pivotally interconnected on a pivot axis parallel to the axis of the motor crank shaft 38 and the horizontal axis of the sprinkler supply pipe portion 28. Axial inward movement of the knob 47 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 4 disengages the pin 49 from its socket and permits rotation of the stub shaft 46 to align the pin with a selected different one of the socket holes 50 for seating therein when the knob is moved axially outward by force of the spring 48.

The sprinkler supply pipe 28 at its junction with the sprinkler head extension 33 is formed with an external annular radial enlargement 51 extending axially between the fixed bushing 30- of the motor housing and the hub 44 of the oscillatable arm 43. The supply pipe enlargement 51 mounts a radially extending stud 52 which at its inner end is screw-threaded into the body of the enlargement on an axis perpendicular to the horizontal axis of the sprinkler supply pipe portion 28 and at an angle of about forty-five degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the sprinkler head extension 33. The outer end of the stud has a circular head 53 which is housed in the open outer end of a cylindrical casing 54 concentric with the head of the stud. The inner end of casing 54 has an integral finger 56 projecting therefrom perpendicularly to the stud and is closed except for a central aperture through which the shank of the stud 52 passes. A coiled expansion spring 55 surrounds the shank of the stud within the casing, hearing at one end against the stud head 53 and at its other end against the inner end of the casing. Normally, the spring is compressed under a constant tension biasing the inner end of the casing 54 forcibly against the surface of the supply pipe enlargement 51 with the finger 56 seated in a groove 51a in said enlargement.

The casing 54 is both axially movable and rotatable relative to its mounting stud 52 and constitutes a handle for manipulation of the finger 56 which extends radially from the casing a distance sufiicient to overlap an adjacent marginal area of either the rotatable hub 44 of arm 43 or the fixed bushing 30 on the motor housing, depending upon the direction in which it is turned.

As best shown in FIG. 6, when the finger 56 is turned to overlap the hub 44 it is adapted to seat in any selected one of several sockets 57 recessed in the segmentally cylindrical surface of the hub, thus interconnecting the arm 43 and the sprinkler supply pipe 28. A series of sockets 58 similar to the socket 57 is provided in the cylindrical surface of the fixed bushing 30 on the motor housing. When the finger 56 is turned to overlap the bushing 30 it may be seated in any selected one of the sockets 58.

It is apparent from the foregoing description that the throw link 41, the arm 43, the finger 56, and the stud 52 are a plurality of interconnected parts of a linkage that constitutes a driving connection between the motor crank 39 and the sprinkler supply pipe 28 to oscillate the latter on its horizontal axis. The throw link 41 is a force-transmitting member that drives the arm 43 to oscillate on the horizontal axis of the sprinkler supply pipe 28, and through a part, that is the finger 56, the arm 43 is alternatively connectible in th driving connection by seating of the finger in one of the sockets 57 or to the motor housing bushing 30 by seating of the finger in one of the sockets 58. In order to effect this selective connection the connector handle comprising the casing 54 is pulled outward to a position in which its finger 56 is held out of engagement with any of the sockets 57 or 58. The handle is then rotated in the direction appropriate to align the finger with a selected one of the sockets.

When pull on the handle is released the finger moves into the socket with a positive snap action under force of the spring 55 which then seats the finger firmly in its socket and holds it against fortuitous disengagement. If it be desired to establish a driving connection between the motor and the sprinkler supply pipe, the handle 54 is rotated on the axis of the stud 52 to align the connector finger 56 with a socket 57 in the hub of the driven oscillatable arm 43 and the finger is seated in the socket, thus making it a part of and completing the driving connection, the radially angular position of the supply pipe extension 33 relative to the supply pipe being selective depending upon Which socket is selected. If it be desired to hold the sprinkler supply pipe in a selected stationary position, the handle 54 is rotated to bring the finger 56 over the series of motor housing sockets 58 and the supply pipe extension 33 is moved to a desired angular position and the finger is seated in the underlying socket, thus anchoring the sprinkler supply pipe against oscillation.

Fundamentally, the connector finger 56 is a spring biased detent that is rotatable to a position in which it snap seats in a selected one of the motor housing sockets 58 and to another position in which it snap seats in the socket 57 in the hub of arm 43. The detent is releasable by outward pull on its handle 54.

The selectivity of radial position of thesupply pipe extension with respect to arm 43 and the adjustable linkage 38-50 provide together a Widely valuable and fine adjustment of the angular relation of the sprinkler head to the axis of oscillation of the supply pipe and at the same time an adjustment of the extent and position of the path relative to the axis of the supply pipe through which the sprinkler head oscillates.

Upon adjusting the device 37 to clamp the arm 36 against rotation, and with the finger 56 seated in a socket 58, the frame can be held in the hand and a fan-like spray can be directed to any desired area.

I claim:

1. A lawn sprinkler comprising, in combination: a supporting frame, a water motor thereon including a housing having a water inlet and a water outlet, a sprinkler head assembly including a water supply pipe having a portion disposed within the housing in communication with the water outlet and journalled in the housing for oscillation, a driving connection between the motor and the supply pipe to oscillate the latter, the driving connection including a member oscillatable on the axis of oscillation of the supply pipe while the motor is in operation, said member having a segmentally cylindrical surface and at least one detent receiving socket in said surface, said housing having a segmentally cylindrical surface and a plurality of detent receiving sockets in said surface, a detent carried by the supply pipe for oscillation therewith and spring biased to seat in any selected one of said sockets, said detent being movable about an axis at right angles to said axis of oscillation selectively to a position in which it seats in the oscillatable member socket and connects said member and the supply pipe for simultaneous oscillation of both while the motor is in operation and to another position in which it seats in a selected one of the motor housing sockets to hold the supply pipe stationary while said oscillatable member continues to oscillate during operation of the motor.

2. A lawn sprinkler comprising in combination: a supporting frame, a water motor including a housing on said frame having a water inlet and a water outlet, the motor having a driving shaft extending outside the housing, a driving crank fixed on the outer extension of the motor shaft for movement therewith in a plane of revolution around the shaft axis, a sprinkler supply pipe journalled in the motor housing for movement in a plane of oscillation on a second axis parallel to the motor shaft axis, a driven arm rotatable loosely on and carried by the sprinkler supply pipe outside the motor housing for movement in a plane of oscillation on the oscillation axis of the sprinkler supply pipe, a spring biased detent carried by said supply pipe for oscillation therewith and rotatable thereon an an axis perpendicular to the axis of oscillation of the supply pipe, a socket in said driven arm for reception of the detent, a series of sockets in the motor housing for reception of the detent, said detent being rotatable selectively to a position in which it seats in a selected one of the motor housing sockets to hold the supply pipe stationary while the motor is in operation and to another position in which it seats in the driven arm socket and connects said arm with the supply pipe for simultaneous oscillation of both while the motor is in operation, a driving connection between the motor crank and said driven arm operative to oscillate the arm continuously while the motor is in operation, and a sprinkler head carried by the supply pipe and receiving water therefrom.

3. A lawn sprinkler having a supporting frame including a housing having a water motor therein, a water inlet to said housing and a water outlet from the housing, a sprinkler supply pipe oscillatable about a horizontal axis in said housing and in communication with the water outlet to receive water therefrom and with one end portion projecting from one side of the housing, a sprinkler head carried by and extending laterally from the supply pipe between the extremity of said end portion and said housing for oscillation with the supply pipe and connected thereto to receive water therefrom; linkage cooperatively connecting the motor and the sprinkler supply pipe to oscillate the pipe on its horizontal axis, said linkage including an arm carried by and loosely rotatable on said end portion of the sprinkler supply pipe at the side of said sprinkler head farthest removed from the housing for movement in a plane of oscillation on the horizontal axis of the pipe, said linkage further including a force-transmitting member driven by the motor and having a pivotal connection to said arm at a point spaced radially from the sprinkler supply pipe on a pivot axis parallel to the horizontal axis of oscillation of the pipe, said arm having a segmentally cylindrical surface coaxial with said supply pipe and having sockets spaced apart along said segmentally cylindrical surface, said housing having a cylindrical surface coaxial with'said supply pipe and having notches spaced apart circumferentially of said cylindrical surface, and means including a part carried by the sprinkler supply pipe between said housing and said arm for oscillation with the supply pipe and rotatable and longitudinally movable thereon about an axis perpendicular to said horizontal axis and coactive selectively with said sockets in said housing andsaid sockets in said arm to establish a fixed driving connection between said arm and the sprinkler supply pipe to effect oscillation of the pipe while the motor is in operation or to establish a fixed holding connection between the motor housing and the sprinkler supply pipe whereby to anchor the latter against oscillation while the motor is in operation, and means carried by the sprinkler supply pipe to releasably hold said part in coactive relation to any selected socket.

4. In a lawn sprinkler having a supporting frame including a housing having a'water motor therein, a water inlet to the housing, a water outlet from the housing, a sprinkler supply pipe oscillatable about a horizontal axis in said housing and in communication with the water outlet to receive water therefrom, a sprinkler head carried by the supply pipe for oscillation therewith and connected thereto to receive water therefrom; the improvement which comprises linkage operatively connecting the motor and the sprinkler supply pipe to oscillate the pipe on its horizontal axis, said linkage including an arm carried by and loosely rotatable on the sprinkler supply pipe for movement in a plane of oscillation on the horizontal axis of the pipe, said linkage further including a force-transmitting member driven by the motor and having a pivotal connection to said arm at a point spaced radially from the sprinkler supply pipe on a pivot axis parallel to the horizontal axis of oscillation of the pipe, said pivotal connection including indexing means operative to shift the pivot axis of the connection selectively to various points located on said arm at different radial distances from the sprinkler supply pipe, and connector means including a part carried by the sprinkler supply pipe for oscillation therewith and movable thereon selectively into a position establishing a fixed driving connection between said arm and the sprinkler supply pipe to effect oscillation of the pipe while the motor is in operation or into a position establishing a fixed holding connection between an element of the motor housing and the sprinkler supply pipe whereby to anchor the latter against oscillation while the motor is in operation.

5. A lawn sprinkler comprising in combination: a supporting frame, a water motor including a housing on said frame having a water inlet and a water outlet, the motor having a driving shaft extending outside the housing, a driving crank fixed on the outer extension of the motor shaft for movement therewith in a plane of revolution around the shaft axis, a sprinkler supply pipe journalled in the motor housing for movement in a plane of oscillation on the second axis parallel to the motor shaft axis, a driven arm rotatable loosely on and carried by the sprinkler supply pipe outside the motor housing for movement in a plane of oscillation on the oscillation axis of the sprinkler supply pipe, connector means including a part carried by said supply pipe for oscillation therewith and movable thereon selectively into a fixed driving connection between said arm and the sprinkler supply pipe to enable simultaneous oscillation of both or into a fixed stationary holding connection between a part of the motor housing and the sprinkler supply pipe to anchor the latter against oscillation, a stub shaft journalled in said driven arm for rotation on an axis parallel to the oscillation axis of the arm, said stub shaft extending outwardly from opposite sides of the driven arm and being movable therein axially along its own axis, a second crank fixed on one end portion of the stub shaft for movement therewith, a throw link having at one end a pivotal connection to the motor shaft crank, a pivot pin interconnecting the other end of the throw link and the free end of said stub shaft crank, one end of the pivot pin having a cylindrical extension in the direction of said driven arm on an axis parallel to the axis of the stub shaft, said driven arm having therein a series of socket holes for reception of the pin extension and spaced apart on the circumference of a circle centered on the axis of the stub shaft, handle means fixed on the other end of the stub shaft and operative to move the stub shaft axially in one direction to seat said 8 pin extension in a registering one of the socket holes and in an opposite direction to disengage the pin extension entirely from the hole, said handle means being rotatable while the pin extension is disengaged whereby to rotate the stub shaft and its crank to shift the pin extension selectively into registry with another of the socket holes, and said pin extension while seated in a socket hole constituting a pivotal connection between the stub shaft crank and said driven arm and at the same time prohibiting angular shifting of the pivotal connection bodily relative to said driven arm, and a water discharge head carried by the sprinkler supply pipe for receiving water therefrom. 6. A lawn sprinkler comprising a supporting frame, a water motor including a housing on said frame provided with a water inlet and a water outlet, the motor having a driving crank outside the housing, a sprinkler supply pipe having an inner portion journallecl in the housing for oscillation on a horizontal axis and in communication with the water outlet, said pipe having an outer portion outside the motor housing the outer portion of the pipe including a riser extension closely adjacent the housing and disposed on an axis perpendicular to the horizontal axis of the supply pipe, a sprinkler head carried by the riser extension, an arm rotatable on the supply pipe at the side of the riser extension farthest from the motor housing, linkage operatively connecting the motor crank and said arm to oscillate the arm on the horizontal axis of the supply pipe while the motor is in operation, a connector fixed on the supply pipe for oscillation therewith between said housing and said arm, said connector including a part movable selectively on an axis perpendicular to the horizontal axis of the supply pipe into either of two positions, means on said oscillatable arm engageable by the connector part in one position thereof to establish a driving connection between the arm and the supply pipe for simultaneous oscillation of both while the motor is in operation, and means on an element of the motor housing engageable by the connector part in another position thereof to establish a fixed holding connection between the motor housing and the supply pipe to hold the latter against oscillation while said arm continues to oscillate during operation of the motor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,354,730 11/1967 Thompson 239242X 3,355,110 11/1967 Thompson 239242 .ALLEN N. KNOWLES, Primary Examiner MICHAEL Y. MAR, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 74-42; 239255 

